Teenagers who once spent sleepless nights worrying about things like prom, peer pressure and college applications are now facing a more serious threat—obesity.

Over the past 20 years, the Office of the Surgeon General says the number of overweight children has nearly tripled. This national epidemic is causing health problems that were once unimaginable for children. Now, adults aren't the only ones who have to worry about high blood pressure, diabetes and strokes.

According to The New England Journal of Medicine, the next generation of children may be the first in history to have a shorter life expectancy than their parents.

Many moms and dads aren't taking this news lightly…some are taking drastic surgical steps to help their obese teens lose weight. Even Food and Drug Administration regulations can't stop some parents. "Is this crazy or a dramatic intervention?" Oprah asks.